ISLAMABAD:
The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) on Wednesday parted ways with the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Pakistan (PTI) after it announced its support for the opposition parties on their no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan.
The MQM-P’s move announced during a press conference — attended by MQM-P leaders alongside the leadership of the joint opposition — is enough to give opposition parties a clear edge over the treasury benches in the National Assembly required to send the premier packing.
لائیو: ایم کیو ایم پاکستان کے رہنماؤں کی متحدہ اپوزیشن کے ہمراہ اسلام آباد میں مشترکہ پریس کانفرنس
https://t.co/nxlv59g6Cr— PPP (@MediaCellPPP) March 30, 2022
After deliberating for weeks, the opposition parties finally managed to persuade the government’s coalition partner to go against the PM on the no-confidence motion, and now with the MQM-P’s support, the government has apparently lost its majority in the assembly.
The MQM-P came in the position to make or break the government after PML-Q decided to side with the government when the premier took resignation from Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar and offered the same position to PML-Q leader Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi in exchange for party’s support on the no-trust motion against the premier.
Though the resignation has not yet been accepted, MQM-P’s move has left both PTI and PML-Q red-faced as they have lost three crucial wickets — PM Imran, CM Buzdar and would-be CM Elahi — on a single delivery.
With MQM-P siding with the opposition, the opposition officially now has more than the required numbers to oust PM Imran’s government through the vote of no confidence even without the PTI’s roughly two dozen dissidents.
Read Imran directs MNAs to stay away from no-trust session
The decision was announced in a press conference of the joint opposition front and MQM-P leadership after both sides reached written agreements, assuring MQM-P that all their demands would be fulfilled.
چیئرمین پاکستان پیپلز پارٹی بلاول بھٹو زرداری کی متحدہ اپوزیشن کے وفد کے ہمراہ ایم کیو ایم پاکستان کے اراکین سے ملاقات کے بعد مشترکہ پریس کانفرنس@BBhuttoZardari pic.twitter.com/s6GTeIupVT
— PPP (@MediaCellPPP) March 30, 2022
The MQM-P has been asking the government and the opposition to answer its demands in writing, saying the party would side with whoever would come up with a better response as it has to go back to its voters and supporters.
The demands included the opening of the party’s offices, recovery of “missing” party workers, discarding of “fake” cases against party leadership and workers, among other things.
Sources said that the opposition leadership, especially PPP, put a blank paper before MQM-P and asked it to write down all its demands as they would all be accepted.
Both sides had reached an agreement last night and were ready to announce the decision late Tuesday night but after delaying it till 3 am, they decided to hold the press conference.
متحدہ اپوزیشن کے وفد کی ایم کیو ایم پاکستان کے اراکین سے ملاقات، ایم کیو ایم پاکستان نے بھی عدم اعتماد کے حق میں اپنا فیصلہ سنا دیا۔@BBhuttoZardari pic.twitter.com/LYKNDxrG6h
— PPP (@MediaCellPPP) March 30, 2022
Two MQM-P federal ministers, Faroogh Naseem and Aminul Haq have also resigned from their portfolios and sent resignation letters to the premier.
Read more: MQM-P’s Aminul Haque, Farogh Naseem resign as federal ministers
The suspense in the wake of the no-confidence motion gripped the country for the past several weeks and everything else was put on the back burner: the only thing that continued by PM Imran was the use of inappropriate language, resorting to name-calling, and luring the allies and dissident members through requests and threats.
Addressing the gathered media, Shehbaz urged the prime minister to resign and start a new chapter in the political history of Pakistan. “I don’t think he will resign but it’s a hope against hope,” he added.
He said the agreement made with the MQM-P will be implemented in letter and spirit.
Speaking at the presser, Bilawal said he was thankful to the MQM-P for making a decision to split ranks with the government for the sake of Karachi, Sindh, and Pakistan. “It is a historic decision,” he said referring to the MQM-P’s decision.
He said MQM-P and PPP have worked together for the uplift of Karachi and Pakistan. The dialogue between PPP and MQM-P has been going on for a long time and “I offered MQM-P to work together” during the Senate elections, he added.
The ‘selection’ during the 2018 elections was a conspiracy against the entire country, he added.
PM Imran has lost the majority in the House, he said, adding that in addition to MQM-P, Aslam Bhootani, Shahzain Bugti, Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) have joined the opposition.
“PM Imran has completely lost his majority,” he said, adding that the premier should resign as he has no other option.
“He is not the prime minister anymore, either resign or come to parliament on Thursday to face the no-trust motion,” he said while addressing PM Imran.
The PPP chief said Shehbaz Sharif will soon be elected as the prime minister, adding that he was thankful to all the opposition parties for waging a ‘historic democratic struggle’ against the PTI government.
“We will bring more good news for the people for Pakistan,” he added.
Also read: Opposition, MQM-P reach agreement on no-trust move
Siddiqui hoped this new arrangement would bring changes in the lives of ordinary people as well.
JUI-F and PDM chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman welcomed the MQM-P’s decision. “This decision will definitely benefit the country and the nation,” he added.
“The drama that started over three years ago has met its end today,” he added.
He was thankful to the political workers for making sacrifices to ‘get rid’ of this government and added that the opposition wanted to bring a ‘healthy political atmopshere’ to the country. Fazl also urged other lawmakers to join the opposition and become part of the national mainstream.
The opposition has 175 lawmakers while it needed only 172 votes to oust the premier, he added.
In response to the allegations by the premier of a foreign-funded conspiracy, Fazl said Imran was brought to power through a conspiracy.
Speaking at the presser, MQM-P chief Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui said today was a “day for prayers”.
The MQM-P leader said that they joined the opposition so that they could strive for democracy which could benefit the common people and Pakistan.
Siddiqui said he hoped that those who disappear people were not a part of a civilized nation and there was a need to turn the struggle for the recovery of missing persons into a national struggle and put an end to this practice.
Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) President Akhtar Mengal said as a former ally, “I request you to step down as you have lost the majority.”
‘Step down’, Maryam tells PM
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz, in a reference to Premier Imran, said that his reign of incompetence utter destruction stood defeated both inside and outside parliament.
“You have not only lost the majority but moral authority. STEP DOWN,” she wrote on her Twitter handle.